Skyrocketing Inflation: Russia Now Charging NASA $70 Million Per Seat To Fly US Astronauts

Source: Associated Press

By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 5:19 PM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA is paying $424 million more to Russia to get U.S. astronauts into space, and the agency’s leader is blaming Congress for the extra expense.

NASA announced its latest contract with the Russian Space Agency on Tuesday. The $424 million represents flights to and from the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as well as training, for six astronauts in 2016 and the first half of 2017. That’s $70.6 million per seat — well above the previous price tag of about $65 million.

Russia currently provides the only means of getting people to and from the space station, and its ticket prices have soared with each new contract.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said if Congress had approved the space agency’s request for more funding for its commercial space effort, the latest contract would have been unnecessary. He is urging full funding of the Obama administration’s 2014 budget request of $821 million in seed money for the commercial crew program.

7. They charge the fat astronauts for an extra seat. n/t

8. We should never haven given up our own means to....

get astronauts to the ISS. That was a fatal mistake by NASA. I agree the Shuttle program had run its course but we need our own, independent means of getting people and things to and from the space station.